While he may not be the most preeminent automotive YouTuber, Steve Hamilton is certainly starting to make his mark in the car content creator space. Already racking up numerous collaborations with heavyweight vloggers such as Shmee, Alex Choi, David Dobrik, and WhistlinDiesel among others with his $30 Million supercar and hypercar collection, it’s safe to say that people are beginning to take notice.

While Steve’s YouTube channel - ‘The Hamilton Collection’- seems to check a lot of the stereotypical supercar vlogger boxes, he puts a surprising emphasis on giving back to the gearhead and local communities. Particularly the younger generation, and how they can succeed in school, college, the workplace, or as an entrepreneur.

Advice From An Automotive Mogul

In his latest video, Steve takes his McLaren P1 for a drive to the neighborhoods where he grew up, talking about what path out of school to take and why, while helping a few people pay rent for good measure.

After working various jobs as a teenager to make ends meet, including flipping burgers at McDonald’s at age 14, Steve started his own business, SD Wheel, at age 19 - working out of his parent’s apartment. Since then, it has gone on to become one of the biggest wheel and tire companies in the US and has allowed Steve to build a supercar collection worth over $30 Million.

While Steve acknowledges this has changed his life, he stresses that only around 9% of working Americans are business owners or self-employed. Despite what social media may tell you, this path isn’t attainable for everyone straight away.

For the other 91%, you will have to work for an employer. For most higher-level jobs, a college degree is almost essential. Once you have the experience or enough capital says Steve, then you have a much better foundation for becoming a business owner.

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Firstly, Steve says the most important thing when looking towards college is to prepare as early as possible – ideally in your junior or senior year of high school. It’s vital to understand what major you want to do and what jobs that can lead to once you graduate. This also means you are less likely to take a year or two out of college due to indecision or to drop out altogether.

Secondly, Steve emphasizes that while going to any college will provide you with an advantage in landing a graduate job, the larger or Ivy League colleges can provide a significant advantage if you are looking to work in a specific industry or for a specific company. It’s also important to consider not only the college but the quality of the programs they offer in your chosen major.

While Steve does talk primarily about college, he does say that going into a trade straight from high school is still a good option and means that you can enter the workplace sooner and not rack up significant student debt.

Steve Hamilton's Recipe For Success

Crashed McLaren Senna on a tow truck
Source: YouTube @ The Hamilton Collection 

The most important piece of advice Steve says he can give is to find a high-level mentor in your chosen field and shadow them for a day. This will give you an idea of how they work on a day-to-day basis. He also stresses the importance of finding a job you enjoy, and that earning less money doing something you love is far better than earning more money working a job you hate.

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His final piece of advice is to develop a strong work ethic and strive to be in the top 10% of whatever you do – whether it’s school, college, work, or your business.